This past Wednesday at the Capital Hill Hilton in Washington, DC, mayors from across the country were scheduled to sit down to a special session and learn how to combat youth gun violence. The guest speaker: Boston’s own Mayor Thomas Menino.

An interesting choice. Shootings in Boston increased 28 percent last year, according to Boston Police Department statistics, and shootings in the first three weeks of this year were up a whopping 275 percent over the same period in 2005. Nearly 30 percent of last year’s murder victims were teenagers, three times the national average. Since the start of 2004, 32 teenagers have been shot to death in Boston — the same number as the previous five years combined.

Nevertheless, Menino is one of two mayors scheduled to make remarks on “best practices and next steps” in combatting youth gun violence at this week’s US Conference of Mayors annual winter meeting. If you think Menino is an odd choice, consider the other speaker: Douglas Palmer of Trenton, New Jersey — where homicides increased 72 percent last year to a record high. Of those 31 murders, 23 were by gunshot in public, according to reports.

Menino has long been a strong national voice on issues of gun control, but he has kept mum about this speech — aware, perhaps, that many Bostonians have been critical of his recent handling of the issue. Menino’s press office would not confirm the scheduled DC appearance as of press time Tuesday night, or provide a copy or description of the mayor’s prepared remarks. (Nor would they confirm reports from a Phoenix connection in DC that Menino has scheduled a dinner reception afterward at Legal Seafood — natch.)

Vote Yoon Barring supernatural intervention next Tuesday, incumbent Thomas Menino is expected to top the ticket in Boston's four-candidate mayoral preliminary. The final vote will take place November 3.

Citizen arrest When it comes to violent crime, Boston Mayor Tom Menino has some advice for his constituents: trust the police and help them do their jobs.

Does Boston hate the BPD? When Kathleen O’Toole served as Boston police commissioner, from early 2004 through mid 2006, she and Mayor Thomas Menino seemed in constant denial of the spiraling violence and shocking police scandals that were roiling the city.

Knight of night life The most feared man in Boston isn’t a crazy-eyed killer or a brutal street thug — he’s an elected official. Evidence? When was the last time you heard a disgruntled Boston businessperson publicly criticize Mayor Tom Menino?

Fixing Boston Schools The race to elect a new mayor of Boston has been in progress for several weeks, and at last there are indications that the candidates are capable of intelligent thought — at least about improving the city's public schools.

Holding his punches All year, Boston’s political observers have been watching for signs of an anti-Menino tipping point in the mayoral race.

Difference of opinion It’s been three months since Peter Canellos replaced Renée Loth as editor of the Boston Globe ’s editorial page.

Pure politics Why is this campaign — one of the most obscure being waged this year — also one of the most intriguing?

Menino's 50-Percent Solution For years, many in Boston (including here at the Phoenix ) have lamented the absence of a vigorous campaign that would force the long-time incumbent to defend his record and discuss the issues.

Council contortions For more than a generation, being president of the Boston City Council was a springboard to the mayor’s office.

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